Ole Birk Laursen
@olebirklaursen.bsky.social
anticolonialism / antifascism / anarchism / author of 'Anarchy or Chaos: M. P. T. Acharya and the Indian Struggle for Freedom' (2023) https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/anarchy-or-chaos/
Opening exhibition on Jewish feminist anarchist Milly Witkop.
November 23, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Opening exhibition on Jewish feminist anarchist Milly Witkop.
23 Nov 1905: Narayan Krishna spoke at the Manchester Martyrs Celebration in Chicago, a manifestation of Irish-Indian anticolonial alliances.
November 23, 2025 at 12:53 PM
23 Nov 1905: Narayan Krishna spoke at the Manchester Martyrs Celebration in Chicago, a manifestation of Irish-Indian anticolonial alliances.
Writing about Narayan Krishna's arrival in Canada in February 1905 this morning. On board the SS "Corinthian", a fellow passenger drew a sketch of him as "Prince Ha-Ra-Yan Kesber". In Montreal, newspapers called him "Nara Yan Kesher", "Ha-Ra-Yan Krishna", and "Dr. Kershau". A man of many names.
November 23, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Writing about Narayan Krishna's arrival in Canada in February 1905 this morning. On board the SS "Corinthian", a fellow passenger drew a sketch of him as "Prince Ha-Ra-Yan Kesber". In Montreal, newspapers called him "Nara Yan Kesher", "Ha-Ra-Yan Krishna", and "Dr. Kershau". A man of many names.
Re-proofreading an old chapter on "Anti-Imperialism" that is about the be re-printed.
November 21, 2025 at 7:40 AM
Re-proofreading an old chapter on "Anti-Imperialism" that is about the be re-printed.
Thanks to the generosity of a friend in Paris, I have received a list of "Madame" Bhikhaiji Cama's correspondence intercepted by the French intelligence service. Hoping to get my hands on the actual correspondence in a few months time.
November 19, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Thanks to the generosity of a friend in Paris, I have received a list of "Madame" Bhikhaiji Cama's correspondence intercepted by the French intelligence service. Hoping to get my hands on the actual correspondence in a few months time.
The doctoral dissertation of Abulhasan Mansur, a member of the Indian Independence Committee during the First World War.
November 17, 2025 at 9:37 AM
The doctoral dissertation of Abulhasan Mansur, a member of the Indian Independence Committee during the First World War.
Writing up something on anticolonial spaces in Weimar era Berlin. During WWI, many Indians lived at Leibnizstr. 42, and M.P.T. Acharya returned to this address when he fled Russia in 1922. Next door was S. C. Guha, a vocal critic of Nazism, and the Kaviani Press, a prominent Persian publisher.
November 16, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Writing up something on anticolonial spaces in Weimar era Berlin. During WWI, many Indians lived at Leibnizstr. 42, and M.P.T. Acharya returned to this address when he fled Russia in 1922. Next door was S. C. Guha, a vocal critic of Nazism, and the Kaviani Press, a prominent Persian publisher.
A lecture with reading by the FAU History and Future Working Group.
"Between the Syndicalist Women’s Union and humanitarian aid: Milly Witkop-Rocker in Berlin, 1919–1933"
yiddish.berlin/wp/en/2025/1...
"Between the Syndicalist Women’s Union and humanitarian aid: Milly Witkop-Rocker in Berlin, 1919–1933"
yiddish.berlin/wp/en/2025/1...
November 15, 2025 at 10:20 AM
A lecture with reading by the FAU History and Future Working Group.
"Between the Syndicalist Women’s Union and humanitarian aid: Milly Witkop-Rocker in Berlin, 1919–1933"
yiddish.berlin/wp/en/2025/1...
"Between the Syndicalist Women’s Union and humanitarian aid: Milly Witkop-Rocker in Berlin, 1919–1933"
yiddish.berlin/wp/en/2025/1...
I have uploaded a bunch of Swedish anarchist periodicals to my archive.org page, including "Anarkisten" (Stockholm) and "Anarkistisk Tidsskrift" (Stockholm). archive.org/details/@ola...
November 10, 2025 at 2:36 PM
I have uploaded a bunch of Swedish anarchist periodicals to my archive.org page, including "Anarkisten" (Stockholm) and "Anarkistisk Tidsskrift" (Stockholm). archive.org/details/@ola...
From my time as an early teenage comics artist
November 10, 2025 at 12:22 PM
From my time as an early teenage comics artist
On 1 November 1911, Indian revolutionaries from Europe and North America met in Berlin, according to Narayan Krishna, who was the delegate from Denmark, and adopted a resolution of sympathy with the Chinese revolution.
November 2, 2025 at 6:59 AM
On 1 November 1911, Indian revolutionaries from Europe and North America met in Berlin, according to Narayan Krishna, who was the delegate from Denmark, and adopted a resolution of sympathy with the Chinese revolution.
Letter from Lala Har Dayal to Virendranath Chattopadhyaya (Feb 1919), informing Chatto that he is leaving the Indian revolutionary movement behind, which caused a major rift between the two veteran Indian anticolonialists.
October 29, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Letter from Lala Har Dayal to Virendranath Chattopadhyaya (Feb 1919), informing Chatto that he is leaving the Indian revolutionary movement behind, which caused a major rift between the two veteran Indian anticolonialists.
My new article on Narayan Krishna, India's first social democrat, will be out soon in "India's World" indiasworld.in/category/dip...
October 27, 2025 at 8:37 AM
My new article on Narayan Krishna, India's first social democrat, will be out soon in "India's World" indiasworld.in/category/dip...
I spent Sunday plotting the locations of Indians (and a few anarchists such as Alexander Berkman, Emma Goldman, Augustin Souchy, Senia Flechine, Mollie Steimer) in Weimar era Berlin onto a map. Lo and behold, they lived in close proximity to each other in Charlottenburg.
October 27, 2025 at 7:37 AM
I spent Sunday plotting the locations of Indians (and a few anarchists such as Alexander Berkman, Emma Goldman, Augustin Souchy, Senia Flechine, Mollie Steimer) in Weimar era Berlin onto a map. Lo and behold, they lived in close proximity to each other in Charlottenburg.
In 1920s Berlin, the Indian revolutionaries were not the only radicals in Charlottenburg. Well-known anarchists such as Emma Goldman, Alexander Berkman, and Augustin Souchy were also in the neighbourhood, and Senya Flechine and Mollie Steimer had their "Foto-Semo" photo studio on Mommsenstraße.
October 24, 2025 at 6:02 AM
In 1920s Berlin, the Indian revolutionaries were not the only radicals in Charlottenburg. Well-known anarchists such as Emma Goldman, Alexander Berkman, and Augustin Souchy were also in the neighbourhood, and Senya Flechine and Mollie Steimer had their "Foto-Semo" photo studio on Mommsenstraße.
In Weimar era Berlin, the Indian revolutionaries stayed near each other. Muhammad Barkatullah and Mahendra Pratap both lodged at Pension Schichtmeyer at Goethestraße 78. At various times, Jaya Surya Naidu, Chempakaraman Pillai, and Virendranath Chattopadhyaya lived on the same street.
October 20, 2025 at 9:32 AM
In Weimar era Berlin, the Indian revolutionaries stayed near each other. Muhammad Barkatullah and Mahendra Pratap both lodged at Pension Schichtmeyer at Goethestraße 78. At various times, Jaya Surya Naidu, Chempakaraman Pillai, and Virendranath Chattopadhyaya lived on the same street.
Many of the members of the Indian Independence Committee lived around the corner, at Leibnizstrasse 42. When MPT Acharya fled Russia and returned to Berlin in 1922, this is also where he first found refuge.
October 19, 2025 at 7:55 AM
Many of the members of the Indian Independence Committee lived around the corner, at Leibnizstrasse 42. When MPT Acharya fled Russia and returned to Berlin in 1922, this is also where he first found refuge.
I spent the morning walking around Charlottenburg, Berlin, tracing the sites of Indian anticolonialism. This was the location of the Indian Independence Committee during the First World War.
October 18, 2025 at 11:40 AM
I spent the morning walking around Charlottenburg, Berlin, tracing the sites of Indian anticolonialism. This was the location of the Indian Independence Committee during the First World War.
Just approved the final draft for this little piece on India's first social democrat: Narayan Krishna. It should be out in an Indian magazine next month.
October 17, 2025 at 6:26 AM
Just approved the final draft for this little piece on India's first social democrat: Narayan Krishna. It should be out in an Indian magazine next month.
Looking forward to this talk about the forgotten history of anarchism and syndicalism in Denmark at the Bibliothek der Freien on Friday bibliothekderfreien.de/veranstaltun...
October 15, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Looking forward to this talk about the forgotten history of anarchism and syndicalism in Denmark at the Bibliothek der Freien on Friday bibliothekderfreien.de/veranstaltun...
Another image that didn't make it into my book. In June 1906, Madame Cama attended the Conférence du conseil international des femmes in Paris, wearing a red and blue silver-embroidered sari, sitting to the right in this photo.
October 15, 2025 at 5:43 AM
Another image that didn't make it into my book. In June 1906, Madame Cama attended the Conférence du conseil international des femmes in Paris, wearing a red and blue silver-embroidered sari, sitting to the right in this photo.
Ticked this box now
October 13, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Ticked this box now
Francesco Ferrer's execution did not just reverberate across the global anarchist world, but the Indian revolutionaries in Paris, especially Lala Har Dayal, also took note and commented on his death in their periodical "Bande Mataram".
October 13, 2025 at 11:54 AM
Francesco Ferrer's execution did not just reverberate across the global anarchist world, but the Indian revolutionaries in Paris, especially Lala Har Dayal, also took note and commented on his death in their periodical "Bande Mataram".
I have uploaded the Swedish anarchist periodicals "Röda Fanor" and "Under Röd Flagg" to archive.org. They will soon be linked to the list of digitized anarchist periodicals (LIDIAP) website as well.
archive.org/details/@ola...
archive.org/details/@ola...
October 11, 2025 at 6:58 AM
I have uploaded the Swedish anarchist periodicals "Röda Fanor" and "Under Röd Flagg" to archive.org. They will soon be linked to the list of digitized anarchist periodicals (LIDIAP) website as well.
archive.org/details/@ola...
archive.org/details/@ola...
Gautam explores the activities of Suhasini Nambiar, the younger sister of Sarojini Naidu and Virendranath Chattopadhyaya as well as the first woman to join the Communist Party of India, in this wonderful article on women, espionage, and empire.
October 10, 2025 at 8:14 AM
Gautam explores the activities of Suhasini Nambiar, the younger sister of Sarojini Naidu and Virendranath Chattopadhyaya as well as the first woman to join the Communist Party of India, in this wonderful article on women, espionage, and empire.